Posted on 03/10/2005 10:33:15 AM PST by mdittmar
He's not wearing his seat belt," Patty Hauser said, a little alarmed, as she looked into the van that was about to take her son Daniel to the airport.
A few minutes later, she laughed at the irony of the observation. The younger Hauser, 19, was on his way from Walnut Hills to Iraq. Hauser, a lance corporal, was one of 17 Marine Corps reservists from Communications Company, Headquarters Battalion, 4th Marine Division who deployed to Iraq today.
The company's mission is to provide radio and data communications for a Marine division headquarters. That means if the situation has anything to do with communication -- from radios to telephones to satellites -- Marines from the unit know how to do it.
Those who left today will augment the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force from Camp Lejeune, N.C. When they get to Iraq, they'll be replacements for communication specialists who are being transferred. That means they'll likely end up in several different units once they get to Iraq, said Lt. Col. Robert de Roziere, the company commander.
Mrs. Hauser, of Mount Healthy, said Daniel, in the corps about a year, is confident.
"He feels well trained," she said. "Still, I'm sad. Last year, when he told us he was going to join the armed forces, we were like, 'OK.' And when he said he was going to join the Marines, we said, 'Oh my gosh, that's the hardest one.' But he made it through boot camp and all the training and did very well."
Mrs. Hauser, at the Naval and Marine Reserve Center with several other family members for the sendoff, said she will be back in a year to welcome Daniel home. The unit is being called up for an initial 12-month activation. Plans are for it to spend about seven months in Iraq.
About half of those deployed are assigned to the company's Cincinnati headquarters. The rest came from the company's detachment in Indianapolis.
For about half of those who left today, it was a second trip to Iraq. The company was mobilized in January 2003 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom, and it augmented the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. It returned to Cincinnati in June 2003.
Lance Cpl. Thomas Patterson, 21, of Columbus, was among those making his second trip.
This time around, he also has a better idea what to pack. "Definitely more socks."
He also knows from experience how mentally tough he has to be, he said. "I know what to expect," said Patterson, who was in Rumadi, an insurgent hot-spot during his last deployment.
"In the beginning, the mortars scared me a little bit, but after a while, it becomes second nature. You get used to it."
His parents are concerned but optimistic, he said. "Of course, they're going to be worried, they're parents, but they're going to be all right.
"I've been over there, and I made it back before. They're confident I'll be back again."
God Bless them all and their families. What great Americans!
They are truly Heros!!!
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